COMPUTER AND LAPTOP TIPS AND INFORMATION

I'm debating the purchase of a new laptop or upgradeing my current one. I dont want Vista, but i'd like a dual-core processor. I have an adequate graphics card, but a that would also be an upside to a new computer.

I run alot of graphic programs for architecture such as AutoCAD, Photoshop, Illustrator, and other 3-D modeling software.

CURRENTLY, I have a laptop roughly 4 years old, which was fairly top-of-the-line when purchased:

Dell Inspiron 8500 w/:
- Pentium 4-M 2.40GHz processor
- 1.0 GB RAM
- 40 GB Hard Drive (almost full)
- Windows XP Pro SP2
- Matisha CDRW/DVD Drive
- Nvidia GForce4 4200 Go Display Adapter
- Battery all but dead/worthless, lasts 15 min.

I would be either buying a new laptop "fully loaded" or buying the following upgrades:

- DVD RW+/- Drive
- total 2GB RAM
- 120 GB Hard drive
- new battery

Upgrading would be significantly cheaper, but the downfall is i can't upgrade the processor or graphics card without upgrading the motherboard?